Even before COD Black Ops 2 was launched, there were many heated discussions and worries about the new matchmaking & lobby systems that it would utilize as well as how the net-code and overall online experiences would be. There are those who simply hate it & are boycotting the competitive play because of it, but others have embraced the change and are simply loving it.

Thankfully, most of the players on PC have gotten around the matchmaking system difficulties but are still slightly annoyed at not being able to select the server that they wish to play on. This requires a slight shift in mindset but its really not the end of the world as we know it. PC players can (and should) be thankful that there are local uber shiny low latency dedicated servers at their disposal despite the lack of control them.

Console players are not feeling the same love..

Console users in SA simply do not get the same support that PC players do because of the lack of local dedicated servers for Live! and PSN titles. Trust me, we get as annoyed as these players do, WE are not the ones who decide where to drop servers for console players. But with Black Ops 2, this no longer seems to be a South African problem but a global one as there does not appear to be ANY dedicated servers for them.

This means that the nature of the gaming net-code will all be peer to peer based. Our traffic shapers are still smart enough to identify this as gaming traffic and give it priority, but sadly, these connections will still only ever be as fast as the weakest link. The interwebs are alive with tips, tricks and possible fixes to minimise the latency experienced, even Activision have come out with some suggestions.

So if you are playing Black Ops 2 on a PS3 or an XBOX 360, have a look through these vids and the support document from Activision and see if any of these help you. If they do... Sound off and let us know that we can get the word out will ya?

From Activision:
If you are experiencing lag while playing online, the best solution is to play the game over a wired Ethernet connection rather than WIFI.

If this does not apply, or if you are still experiencing lag, please follow the steps below.

Disconnect your router and try the game. If it works regularly at this point something about your router may not be completely compatible with the specific needs of this game. Check with your router manufacturer and Sony’s PlayStation 3 Connection Issues page for additional steps that may need to be done to resolve the issue you are having.

Place your PlayStation 3 into the DMZ of your router.

If you are having issues connecting while multiple PlayStation 3 consoles are connected on the same network, try forwarding the ports 36081, 3074, 3075, 3478 UDP 80, 81,443, 3074, 5223 TCP for one PlayStation 3 and setting the other as DMZ. There is a chance that this may not resolve your issue, if it doesn’t then you may want to consider getting an additional public IP address by contacting your Internet Service Provider and assigning it to one of the consoles.

NOTE: If setting port forwarding or DMZ helps your connection issue, you may want to assign your PlayStation 3 a static IP address within your home network. This can help to ensure that the configurations you made do not need to be done again. You can visit PortForward's Static IP Guide for a detailed guide on how to do this.

NOTE: Many broadband internet modems are coming with routing capabilities built in. Please contact your internet service provider to determine if your internet modem has an integrated router. If it does, they should be able to assist you with the steps above for setting up your router.

Once you have verified that your network setup is not the cause of the issue, try connecting to a different server. Some servers may have other players connected to them that you do not have an optimal connection with. In most games this is accomplished by backing out to the main menu and then selecting multiplayer again. From there you can try connecting to another online game.

Moderate and Strict NAT types may have issues connecting to online matches. You may get the error "Notice - The game session is no longer available." If you do then enabling UPnP, forwarding ports 36081, 3074, 3075, 3478 UDP 80, 81,443, 3074, 5223 TCP, or placing your PlayStation 3 in your router's DMZ may resolve this issue. Please consult your router documentation for instructions on how to do this

Xbox 360
When playing the game online, the minimum speed of your network should be 128kbps. The ideal network speed for playing the game online is 768kbps. If you are having a problems with lag check the following:

Disconnect your router and try the game. If it works regularly at this point something about your router may not be completely compatible with the specific needs of this game. Check with your router manufacturer and Microsoft's Xbox Live Connection Issues page for additional steps that may need to be done to resolve the issue you are having. You can also verify that you have an Xbox Live compatible router.

If you are having issues connecting while multiple Xbox 360 consoles are connected on the same network, try forwarding port 3074 (UDP/TCP) for one Xbox 360 and setting the other as DMZ. There is a chance that this may not resolve you issue, if it doesn’t then you may want to consider getting an additional public IP address by contacting your Internet Service Provider and assigning it to one of these two consoles.

NOTE: If setting port forwarding or DMZ helps your connection issue, you may want to assign your Xbox 360 a static IP address within your home network. This can help to ensure that the configurations you made do not need to be done again. You can visit PortForward's Static IP Guide for a detailed guide on how to do this.

NOTE: Many broadband internet modems are coming with routing capabilities built in. Please contact your internet service provider to determine if your internet modem has an integrated router. If it does, they should be able to assist you with the steps above for setting up your router.

Once you have verified that your network setup is not the cause of the issue, try the following:

Try connecting to a different server. Some servers may have other players connected to them that you do not have an optimal connection with. In most games this is accomplished by backing out to the main menu and then selecting multiplayer again. From there you can try connecting to another online game.

Run the Xbox Network Self Test to see how strong your NAT is currently set to. Once the test is completed you will be notified if there is an issue with your connection. If you select "More Info" you will be given information about your NAT type and some steps to resolve any issues with your connection.

Moderate and Strict NAT types may have issues connecting to online matches. You may get the error "Notice - The game session is no longer available." If you do then enabling UPnP, forwarding port 3074, or placing your Xbox in your router's DMZ may resolve this issue. Please consult your router documentation for instructions on how to do this.